Kings and Queens
by Siriuslyblacked
Summary: An empty common room at 1:00 am, Ron, Hermione, and a chess game [one shot]


hmmmm I'm tired!

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"Hermione please help me," A certain red head pleaded trying his best attempt to look helpless.

"Then why didn't you do your essay last night?" Hermione demanded glaring at his foolishness.

"I was doing…" Ron paused, what was he doing last night? _Oh yeah…_ Ron groaned, last night he stalled on his essay by playing with a snitch he and Harry took from practice.

"You were doing?" Hermione prompt, smirking with satisfaction at the tiny bit of guilt that showed up on Ron's face.

"Alright so I wasn't doing the essay," Ron huffed, "but still I really need help, I'm going to be up all night, and no one else is here!" It was true, Hermione noted, the common room was certainly dull and empty at one in the morning. Also knowing Ron he would get a horrible grade on the essay if she didn't at least correct him…

"Fine I'll do it just once, but you have to learn to start early on your essays," she retorted viscously, glaring at Ron before she took up his essay and began adding and correcting it.

"Ah, Hermione you're a life savor!" Ron sighed happily handing over his poor paper to a greedy hand that snatched it up and instantly began correcting it.

"Ron your spelling is horrible," Hermione sighed scratching her quill through sentences at a time.

"I know it is, but that's why I have you right?" He yawned, "I mean who else has Hermione Granger to help with their homework? Well maybe Harry…"

"I don't correct Harry's homework," Hermione said absentmindedly re-reading the new conclusion she wrote for Ron.

"You don't?" Ron asked bewildered, "You used to right?" He looked at Hermione with interest as she sucked on the end of her quill in deep thought. Ron smiled, he couldn't help but notice her smooth face, long brown curly hair, and figure in the loose robes she was wearing.

"Ron?" Hermione called out, snapping him back to reality. He could feel his ears growing red by her quizzical stare.

"Oh I err…" he mumbled looking at the ground feeling his face glow, "what did you say?"

"I said I don't correct Harry's homework because he corrects it with Ginny," Hermione repeated herself looking to see Ron's reaction, it seemed neutral, "Also I'm done with correcting your essay."

"Oh, thanks Hermione," Ron grinned as he looked over his fresh essay approving of the brunet's work, "I guess since he's been dating my sister they do a lot together."

"Yes," Hermione sighed a little vexed, she felt that Ron was way to over protective of his little sister, even with Harry who's never done anything. Ron took the hint and didn't mention anything further about his best friend and sister's relationship.

"So… are you going to bed now?" Ron asked awkwardly hoping to change the subject.

"No, I'm not tired yet" she replied, "I thought I'd sit here and read the new book I checked out at the library." Hermione took out _N.E.W.T.S Theories and Spells _and opened to the first page and started to engage in its contents.

"Would you care to play a game of chess?" Ron asked tentatively, feeling slightly ashamed as he pulled out his old chessboard and chess pieces. Hermione looked at him with her pure brown eyes, _I might as well_.

"Alright then," Hermione said interestedly, "but I'm white."

"Fine with me I'm still going to win," Ron grinned setting up his black pawns as Hermione scowled at him sitting down on the rug near the fire.

"Why are you staying up late? I thought that's why you wanted me to do your essay so you could sleep," Hermione asked making the first white move. She looked up at Ron and smiled at his pensive look completely immersed in the strategy of the game.

"Same as you, I'm not tired," Ron replied plainly, drawing out his knight for his first move, it is said that to be a good chess player one must utilize their knights during the entire game if possible. Hermione took her time before playing her next move, it was so hard to play Ron without thinking about every single move you make.

"So I did your essay for nothing?" Hermione sighed slightly, though she was confused, it was hard to read Ron's moves outside of chess as well as inside the game.

Ron looked at her before he made his first strike, "Come on 'Mione, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"I wish you wouldn't call me 'Mione," Hermione hissed, countering his attack with her own, causing Ron to think hard about his next move.

"What's the problem with it? It's just a name," Ron wondered, taking out his black queen early in the battle looking at Hermione's cold scowl.

"It's unofficial," Hermione replied coldly glaring at Ron as she drew out her full force, the white queen.

"Bloody hell Hermione, not everything about you has to be perfect," Ron replied angrily taking one of Hermione's bishops for his own growing pile of smashed white pieces.

"Ron we're _prefects_, we are the role models of all the students in Gryffindor," She cried out, "I must act like a _prefect_, like a role model, unlike what behavior you've displayed." Hermione threatened Ron's king with a 'check'.

"You can't live up to that," Ron said plainly, "Hermione no one can be perfect, not you." And with that he moved his king safely into a defensive position.

"What do you know?" Hermione hissed, "You joke and play around all day, then leave me to do your work!" She violently slammed her pawn down which caused the tiny figure to cry out in protest.

Ron's ears when pink with anger, "Well at least I'm not a know it all!" was the best reply he could come up with, sending his knights to violently assault her king in what would be called a 'check mate'.

"You don't know anything about me Ron!" Hermione cried out, tears began to blotch her brown eyes with anger as she threw her king at his face. The king yelled in fright as he smacked Ron square in the forehead. Actual tears started to fall down her face as she got up and stormed away to the other side of the common room. The red head had to peal a chess piece off his forehead before he chased after Hermione, leaving a large red indent of the once king on his freckled head.

"Hermione…" Ron began but he was cut off by her sobs.

"Just l-leave," she hiccupped turning away from him.

"Well how am I supposed to know what's wrong if you just push me away?" Ron cried out frustrated, "You say that I don't know anything about you, but how am I supposed to if you just shove me away? I'm trying to help…" His entire face was red with frustration, embarrassment, and confusion. _Why are girls so damn emotional?_ Ron thought inwardly.

"Ron please…" Hermione pleaded weakly sniffling, "please just go…" _don't leave me_, "I just need some time alone..." _Please don't go…_

"No," a warm voice said behind her, "I'm not leaving." He said flatly, looking concerned for his clever brunet friend. Hermione finally turned around to face him, her eyes were red from tears and her face was damp from those very tears. Ron inhaled deeply, it pained him more than she knew to see her like this, _it's all my fault…_

"Ron I…" She started, but Ron never heard the rest of her words as she grabbed onto him sobbing in his chest. He stood awkwardly in the dim lit common room with Hermione clutching onto him crying her eyes out. _This is not how I pictured a romantic scene with Hermione_, he thought to himself smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry," Ron found himself saying as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, "I didn't mean to make you upset, I just don't understand…" After a while he heard a faint 'I know' from the mass of brown curly hair in his arms. Ron's heart raced wildly around his chest sure that Hermione could hear it as plain as day. He could feel it pulsing in his burning red ears. Was it suddenly getting really hot in the common room or was that his imagination?

"Err, Hermione are you hot?" Ron asked tentatively, she shook her head, "well do you want to go to bed?" another shake, "well should we sit down?" Finally Hermione nodded, and Ron carefully led her over to a couch near the fireplace. Ron caught a glimpse of her face, it was a lot better, though she still had red eye and a blotchy face at least she wasn't crying.

Carefully sitting down next to Hermione, Ron still kept one arm around her shoulder and leaned close to her, "Hermione… are you ok?" Instantly after saying that he felt like an idiot as Hermione scowled at him, but he did see a hint of a smile playing upon her lips.

"I think I'm getting there," She replied weakly leaning her head against Ron's for support, "thank you…I should get to bed though, after I've thought about it." Hermione seemed to have gained some of her Hermioneish characteristics as she smiled a little and looked at Ron.

Suddenly Ron's heart stopped, he hadn't realized how close his face was to hers. From his perspective their lips were only mere inches apart. Hermione caught onto the tension as she felt his slow warm breath upon her upper lips, her brain buzzed until it went blank of all thought. Without warning Ron found his body leaning in ever so slightly, he felt his eyes close waiting to feel her soft lips. Hermione's eyes  
widened with surprise, _is this really happening_, her mind whispered as her body moved her towards him, waiting…

-the end-

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